Postal Service Mail Carriers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for postal service mail carrierss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$65,030
- California$64,560
- Massachusetts$64,500
- New York$64,100
- Rhode Island$63,890
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- South Carolina$59,480
- Mississippi$59,590
- Alabama$60,050
- West Virginia$60,170
- Idaho$60,220
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $65,030 | $64,250 | $31 | +4% | 930 |
| 2 | California | $64,560 | $62,090 | $31 | +3.2% | 32,320 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $64,500 | $62,070 | $31 | +3.1% | 7,630 |
| 4 | New York | $64,100 | $62,070 | $31 | +2.5% | 20,580 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $63,890 | $63,610 | $31 | +2.2% | 1,220 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $63,840 | $59,880 | $31 | +2.1% | 1,200 |
| 7 | Arizona | $63,650 | $62,390 | $31 | +1.8% | 5,300 |
| 8 | Illinois | $63,500 | $62,070 | $31 | +1.5% | 14,730 |
| 9 | Maryland | $63,400 | $62,070 | $30 | +1.4% | 6,420 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $63,230 | $61,130 | $30 | +1.1% | 10,160 |
| 11 | Nevada | $63,090 | $62,070 | $30 | +0.9% | 2,530 |
| 12 | Ohio | $62,990 | $61,130 | $30 | +0.7% | 12,680 |
| 13 | Washington | $62,830 | $59,990 | $30 | +0.5% | 6,550 |
| 14 | Virginia | $62,790 | $62,070 | $30 | +0.4% | 7,900 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $62,740 | $61,130 | $30 | +0.3% | 4,510 |
| 16 | Florida | $62,670 | $61,130 | $30 | +0.2% | 20,810 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $62,540 | $59,990 | $30 | +0% | 5,890 |
| 18 | Colorado | $62,480 | $59,880 | $30 | -0.1% | 5,100 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $62,460 | $59,880 | $30 | -0.1% | 13,900 |
| 20 | Alaska | $62,380 | $59,880 | $30 | -0.3% | 450 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $62,330 | $59,990 | $30 | -0.3% | 1,560 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $62,250 | $59,880 | $30 | -0.5% | 1,570 |
| 23 | Missouri | $62,220 | $59,880 | $30 | -0.5% | 7,260 |
| 24 | Utah | $62,210 | $59,880 | $30 | -0.5% | 2,460 |
| 25 | Michigan | $62,190 | $59,880 | $30 | -0.6% | 11,610 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $62,190 | $59,880 | $30 | -0.6% | 6,470 |
| 27 | Indiana | $62,140 | $59,880 | $30 | -0.6% | 6,910 |
| 28 | Delaware | $62,120 | $59,880 | $30 | -0.7% | 1,130 |
| 29 | Texas | $62,050 | $60,550 | $30 | -0.8% | 26,700 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $61,920 | $59,990 | $30 | -1% | 11,030 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $61,840 | $59,880 | $30 | -1.1% | 430 |
| 32 | Maine | $61,820 | $59,010 | $30 | -1.2% | 1,510 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $61,620 | $59,700 | $30 | -1.5% | 3,030 |
| 34 | Oregon | $61,570 | $59,400 | $30 | -1.6% | 3,760 |
| 35 | Iowa | $61,480 | $59,880 | $30 | -1.7% | 3,730 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $61,420 | $60,760 | $30 | -1.8% | 850 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $61,400 | $59,880 | $30 | -1.8% | 2,150 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $61,400 | $59,880 | $30 | -1.8% | 4,130 |
| 39 | Vermont | $61,350 | $59,010 | $30 | -1.9% | 690 |
| 40 | Kansas | $61,260 | $58,540 | $29 | -2% | 3,310 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $61,260 | $58,910 | $29 | -2% | 5,090 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $61,200 | $58,910 | $29 | -2.1% | 4,640 |
| 43 | Montana | $61,070 | $59,010 | $29 | -2.4% | 830 |
| 44 | North Dakota | $60,640 | $59,010 | $29 | -3% | 800 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $60,590 | $58,570 | $29 | -3.1% | 7,310 |
| 46 | Georgia | $60,260 | $57,700 | $29 | -3.6% | 10,790 |
| 47 | Idaho | $60,220 | $57,820 | $29 | -3.7% | 1,660 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $60,170 | $57,700 | $29 | -3.8% | 1,850 |
| 49 | Alabama | $60,050 | $57,700 | $29 | -4% | 5,840 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $59,590 | $57,470 | $29 | -4.7% | 3,290 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $59,480 | $57,700 | $29 | -4.9% | 5,650 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 514 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lawrence, KS | $70,530 | $67,790 | 100 |
| 2 | Bay City, MI | $68,640 | $66,040 | 120 |
| 3 | Enid, OK | $68,640 | $65,720 | 60 |
| 4 | Bozeman, MT | $68,060 | $69,930 | 60 |
| 5 | Napa, CA | $67,140 | $67,090 | 130 |
| 6 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $66,440 | $65,500 | 670 |
| 7 | Iowa City, IA | $64,890 | $65,340 | 150 |
| 8 | Naples-Marco Island, FL | $64,460 | $65,420 | 400 |
| 9 | Bloomington, IN | $64,250 | $64,820 | 190 |
| 10 | Border Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $64,250 | $62,940 | 80 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing postal service mail carrierss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Postal Service (Federal Government) | $60,550 | $62,540 | 328,820 |
| 2 | Postal Service (Federal Government) | $60,550 | $62,540 | 328,820 |
| 3 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $60,550 | $62,540 | 328,820 |
| 4 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $60,550 | $62,540 | 328,820 |
| 5 | Cross-Industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local | $60,550 | $62,540 | 328,820 |
| 6 | Sectors 48 and 49 - Transportation and Warehousing | $60,550 | $62,540 | 328,820 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do postal service mail carriers make in the U.S.?
The median postal service mail carriers salary in the United States is $60,550 per year (mean $62,540), and about 80% earn between $42,390 and $81,040.
How much do postal service mail carriers make per hour?
Roughly $30 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $62,540 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays postal service mail carriers the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for postal service mail carriers at $65,030 per year (median $64,250).
What is the job outlook for postal service mail carriers?
Employment is projected to change -3.5% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 20,600 openings per year.